Chapter 13: It's fine if you end up losing your way once a while, as long as you have people who care for you by your side there will always be someone guiding you back to the right path.

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"Everyone! Tonight is a glorious night for us to have a fresh start. Finally... after so long, our Ace... Sakata Gintoki, our beloved Shiroyasha has returned to us! With him with us, the future where we will topple the corrupt nation will come sooner than we could have dreamed before!" exclaimed Katsura happily as the rest of the Joui rebels joined the cheer.

Gintoki shrugged off Katsura's arm from his shoulders. "Cut that off, Zura! The only reason why I'm here is that I needed a place to stay for a while. Don't you suddenly wanna turn me into your new ace or someth—"

"But of course! Even when you say so, the one who played the major role in a lot of events involving the country was—"

Gintoki started to cover Katsura's mouth forcefully as he tried to disperse the crowd that had been gathering in front of him.

"Whatever... I'm just tired. So you won't mind if I just make myself home right away, yeah?" he waved Katsura off before turning to Kagura. "If you want, you can go explore the place for a while but don't stay out too long."

With that, Gintoki walked inside the small shop lot that Katsura's group had turned into their new secret hideout. As he passed by some boxes stashed at the corner, Gintoki noted the old wanted posters of his from back during the time that tincan Kintoki had been taking his spotlight and tried to run him down.

It's interesting that Zura hadn't thrown them out still.

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Katsura cast a long look at Gintoki's disappearing back. He sighed. At least now he would be able to feel at ease, knowing that Gintoki was nearby.

xxx

"Otae-chan... ten years ago, I did something terrible that I really regretted doing. I... with my own hand, have used my sword to behead my master. The very person that I wanted to save with all my might, the person who had been the closest thing to a real father to me... I killed him with my own hands."

"You see, I made a promise to him. That I'll protect our friends, protect everyone for him. But I didn't really manage to do that. In order to save him, everyone had gathered for my sake... to help me out. But rather than achieving our sole mission and purpose, I let my friends die by the enemies' hands. Instead of protecting our friends, I bury them instead."

He found himself choking with pent-up emotions as he thought about the past Joui war that he used to take part in.

"Instead of saving Shouyou, I ended up having to kill him with my own hands so that I could save the remaining two friends that I had left. Of course, back then I wasn't aware that my master was someone who was an immortal... so I wouldn't have known that my choice at that time might be something that Shouyou would've wanted me to make. But because of what I did that time, the Shouyou whom I used to know has disappeared... and was replaced by a cold-hearted monster who was the complete opposite of him."

Gintoki turned his head towards Otae, who has remained quiet throughout his explanation and listened to his words patiently. Somehow, just having her by his side as he opened up about things that he always kept bottled inside was comforting. He sighed.

"The fact that I was the one who cut down my master always killed me inside... so much, that I wanted to die. But I couldn't kill myself... since that would make him sad. So that's why even when I was caught by the shogunate and sentenced to death, I never really tried to escape. Even when the bakufu executioner at that time set me free at the risk to his life, I didn't feel any more alive afterwards. That's how I used to live... before I met you guys."

"That said," Otae suddenly spoke, "...that kind of thinking, you no longer felt like that anymore now, do you? Because all these times, whenever you pick up your sword to protect everyone dear to you... you always cling to your life to the very end. Even when your body was hurt all over, you never gave up on your life as you fight on. And your eyes that usually looked like a dead fish on any normal day, seemed so full of life during those times."

Otae turned her face towards him as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Anyway, I was glad. That despite what happened in the past, you continued to live until now and was able to meet me and everyone. Even if you haven't been able to protect as many people as you wanted during those times ten years ago, because you were here now... you're able to protect so many people. Not just in Kabukicho, in Edo and so many other places."

"I couldn't imagine what the world would be like if you weren't around to protect us."

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Gintoki thought about the things Otae had told him back at her place. What has he done in the past to deserve someone like her? But what she said that time, did hold some truth. Because of the people he met after Yaemon-san set him free, starting from Otose to every single person he has met to this day... he found new reasons for himself to keep on living. And even when he never planned for it, he ended up gathering people who started to care for and loved him as part of their family. He... who never had any family from the very beginning, yet now had so many people who loved him so much.

People who loved him...

His thoughts went back towards Otae (honestly Miss Writer really fooled him into thinking that we're no longer going to talk about Otae in the coming chapters, and what was he doing now?). He thought about how gentle she had been as her lips captured his and explored his entire being. With every kiss she gifted him, it caught his breath away. He could still remember the taste of her lips and how her every touch warmed his heart and his entire existence. It felt as if his soul had been saved from a dark void...

"What're you doing there by yourself, Gintoki?"

Gintoki yelped as he looked up to see Zura walking in into the room. He felt his cheeks burning as he turned his face away. "It's nothing... mind your own business!"

Honestly, he needs to keep what happened between him and Otae a secret. If Zura, or even worse, that gorilla stalker found out about this he will see no end to that guy making a big fuss and bothering him to no end!

He shrugged as Zura sat down on the floor beside him.

"Thanks, Zura. For letting me and my kids stay with you and your people here. I never thought that I'd have to resort to depending on you of all people, but I really appreciated the help."

Zura slung his arm over Gintoki's shoulder as he grinned happily. "No problem, Gintoki! And it's not Zura, it's Katsura!" Zura let out a smirk. "After all, we're the last remaining hope this country has now, we need to support each other in times of crises."

His friend turned to look at him. "Also, I wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't at least do something like sheltering you at this small place here."

Gintoki glanced at his friend. "You idiot, are you still worried about me?"

Zura frowned at him. "Of course! And I'm no idiot, I'm Zura! I mean... I'm Katsura!"

Gintoki chuckled softly.

Shouyou last request to him resounded back inside his head as his mind went back to thinking about Utsuro.

"Zura, I know that you meant well and I know that you'll keep on worrying about me no matter how many times I've told you that I'm fine. But thank you anyway." He looked up towards his friend. "If you really want us to have that talk you've been asking me about last time, I'll do that if you really want it."

Zura placed a hand on his shoulder before getting up on his feet. "Then, we'll do that later. You can rest here for the time being."

Gintoki smiled at his friend as he grabbed his Toyako from his side. Looking at the wooden sword, he was reminded of the long sword that Shouyou used to give him a long time ago.

"I'll be back very soon."

He bit his lips.

Of all the things for him to suddenly remember about Shouyou, it had to be those particular words. Gintoki placed his Toyako over his shoulder as he leaned on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes as Utsuro's smiling face flashed into his mind...

Shouyou... when I heard you say that to me back then as those people took you away, I never thought to see you come back to me like this, he thought painfully as Gintoki held his wooden sword tightly.

He had been so deeply in thoughts, that Gintoki hadn't noticed Katsura peeking his head into the room again, checking on him with concern etched on his forehead.

xxx

She glanced up towards the big gate in front of her. Kodokan Dojo. This was the residence belonging to the Shimura siblings, who had a close relationship with Sakata Gintoki. This was quite a decent place...

Without warning, the gate in front of her started to open as a young woman walked out through the gate. The woman let out a gasp as she turned around and saw her standing still behind her.

The woman frowned at her. "Aren't you... Imai Nobume-san?"

Nobume blinked at her in confusion. "Do you... know me?"

Otae just shrugged at her. "You probably didn't remember me from before, but we met briefly last time on the Mimawarigumi ship. My name's Shimura Tae."

"Oh," the realisation just hit her. "You're that other woman who got on board back then. You came with the Yorozuya..."

Tae nodded. "Why are you here? Are you looking for Gin-san?"

"Yes. Is Sakata Gintoki here?"

Tae shook her head at her slowly. "You just missed him. He already left here to head to Katsura-san's hideout last night."

"I see... well, I'll be on my way then," said Nobume as she excused herself. Tae hastily grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

Tae took out a small slip of paper from the inside of her inner sleeve as she gave it to Nobume.

Nobume glanced down at the paper as Tae explained. "Gin left this to me in case I needed to contact him. You should keep it, since I've already remembered the address anyway."

"Thank you..."

"Don't mind it too much. Please stay safe, Nobume-san."

"You too, Tae-san."